Amdadul Haque
People across the country are still showing a nonchalant attitude, and not paying heed to WHO and Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) advice, though the latter have suggested the use of masks to prevent coronavirus infections.
There seems to be no interest in the issue among the people, as yet. Citizens and specialist doctors say there has been no "vigorous campaign" from the administration and health department to encourage the use of masks. This is why ordinary people do not understand the importance of the mask. So there is less use.
In places like Mirpur, Shyamoli, Dhanmondi, Farmgate and other areas of the capital, more than 50 percent of the people were found not to be using masks. Some people are hanging masks around the neck, most of the masks were also dirty.
"People are talking about maintaining social distancing and personal hygiene to stop COVID-19 outbreak, not about using masks," Rakib, a rickshaw passenger told Bangladesh Post.
However, with no "total lockdown" order imposed by the government, millions of people like Rakib are out on the roads every day, especially in the capital Dhaka. For a city as dense as Dhaka, maintaining social distance - as suggested by the World Health Organization (WHO) to stop the coronavirus spread - seems like a chimera.
Sufian, a resident of Shyamoli, was walking on the road without a mask. When asked, he said, "In the beginning, I used a mask every day. Then no one would leave the house easily. But now everyone is coming out and most of them do not have masks. So I don't want to use a mask every day.”
A man named Noor Muhammad said, "all the shops are being reopened. How can I protect myself by using a mask now?”
Rickshaw puller Juned Ahmed was wearing a white but dirty mask,and when asked about this, he said, "if you don't have a mask, the police will kill you. But if you have a face mask, it doesn't matter. I am wearing a mask to protect myself from police.”
When asked, Mansur Hossain, Sub Inspector of Kalabagan police station, who was on patrol duty, said, "Even though we try to make them understand, no one cares."
An assistant commissioner of DMP's Ramna zone said, "Police are being flexible because of the coronavirus situation. On this occasion, many are not paying attention to the rules and regulations. Not obeying social distance. Not using a mask when leaving the house. They don't want to obey even if they understand.”
Medicine specialist,Dr Jakir Hussain said, “initially it was said that if you do not use a mask, you will get infected with coronavirus. That's why everyone was using it. But after the opening of garment factories, shops, shopping malls, everyone is thinking that they will not be infected. The result is—they are not using masks now. In addition, those who use old masks for fear of the police will suffer from respiratory problems.”
Doctors also compared not using a mask with suicidal behavior.
However, some people claimed that they faced difficulties in finding face masks and hand sanitizers as the products went almost out of market due to a hike in their demands amid coronavirus fear across the country.
The demand for masks and sanitizers soared abnormally after the announcement of the first-ever detection of three positive coronavirus cases in the country.
Gripped by the fear of coronavirus, people rushed to pharmacies and superstores in the city to buy masks and sanitizers in excessive quantities which led to the price hike of the items.
Using the global health crisis as the pretext, some businesses increased the prices of masks, hand sanitizers and even normal hand wash unreasonably in the city.
One of the salespersons of a pharmacy at Panthapath in the city said that their stock of sanitizers and masks ran out and companies were facing difficulties to ensure supply of the items due to such high demand.
Traders increased the price of normal face masks from Tk 5 to Tk 50 and standard quality face masks from Tk 20 and Tk 30 to Tk 100 and even Tk 150 in the city.
However, according to WHO’s website, there are 10 basic things WHO would like people to know about the coronavirus outbreak:
1. People should wash their hands regularly with soap and water, or clean them with an alcohol-based solution.
2. Disinfect surfaces like kitchens and work desks regularly.
3. Seek information on the situation from reliable sources, like a local or national public health agency, WHO or a local health case professional.
4. Anyone with a fever or cough should avoid traveling. If sickness starts while on a flight, inform the crew immediately.
5. Cough or sneeze into a sleeve or tissue. Throw the tissue away and wash hands.
6. People over the age of 60, or anyone with an underlying health condition, have a higher risk of contracting a severe case of the disease. Those people might need to take extra precautions to avoid crowded places and sick people.
7. If someone feels sick, they should stay home and contact a doctor or local health professional about the symptoms. Symptoms of the coronavirus typically include a fever and dry cough without a runny nose.
8. If a sick person does stay at home, they should eat and sleep separately from anyone else in the household. They should also use different utensils to eat.
9. A person should seek care immediately if they develop shortness of breath.
10. WHO said it is "normal and understandable to feel anxious, especially if you live in a country or community that has been affected." People should find out what they can do in their communities and discuss how to stay safe with people in their workplace, school or place of worship.
